Hynes: Perseverance and dedication hold key

By VERONICA FRANCIS
TO excel in one’s career and all aspects of life you need to persevere and be dedicated.
This was the message from University of Papua New Guinea Vice-Chancellor Prof Ross Hynes at the university’s 56th graduation ceremony last Friday.
He challenged graduates to be dedicated to their profession and employers so they could contribute meaningfully to nation-building.
“How can you convince your employer that you are worthy of being employed or getting a promotion if you are already employed?” he asked.
Guest speaker, Minister for Higher Education Paru Aihi said many students might not find employment after graduation because “there is a huge gap between universities and the employers”.
He said universities did not keep track of their graduates and there had been no graduate tracer study for many years.
Aihi said this was the sad reality in PNG and he would like to see more consultation and participation of large, medium and small corporations or organisations towards education in collaboration with universities to seal the gap and contribute more towards development.
He challenged the government do all it could to support universities so that they can bridge the gap to move forward.
Graduating student and recipient of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon prize for best candidate in master of medicine (surgery), Dr Joao Pedro Da Costa Xavier, said PNG was ready to compete with other countries when it came to skills and knowledge.
He said it was now the responsibility of the graduates to make a difference in society.
“We need a moral transformation and for educated people to make well-informed decisions to move PNG forward.”
More than 1,000 students graduated with degrees and diplomas.